A flat flexible circuit conventionally includes an elongated flat flexible dielectric substrate having laterally spaced strips of conductors on one or both sides thereof. The conductors may be covered with a thin, flexible protective layer on one or both sides of the circuit. If protective layers are used, cutouts are formed therein to expose the underlying conductors at desired contact locations where the conductors are to engage the conductors of a complementary mating connecting device which may be a second flat flexible circuit, a printed circuit board or the terminals of a mating connector.
There are a wide variety of zero insertion force electrical connectors particularly adapted for terminating flat circuits, such as flexible flat circuits, flexible printed circuit boards and the like. These electrical connectors conventionally have a housing mounting a plurality of terminals in a generally parallel array spaced along an elongated opening or slot for receiving an end of the flat circuit. Typically, these connectors use actuators to push the flexible flat circuits, flexible printed circuit boards or the like against resilient contact portions of the terminals.
The actuators of these flat circuit connectors typically are movable between a first position allowing free insertion of the flat circuit into the elongated opening or slot in the housing, and a second position wherein a pressure plate of the actuator biases the cable against the contact portions of the terminals. For instance, the end of the flat circuit may be stripped of its insulation so that the pressure plate biases exposed conductors of the circuit against the contact portions of the terminal.
Major problems continue to plague such flat circuit connectors, particularly in the area of cost and reliability. There continuously are problems in holding the flat circuit in the connector. Any lateral deviation of the flat circuit from its intended position will cause misalignment between the conductors of the flat circuit and the terminals of the connector, resulting in improper or inadequate connections. In addition, when the circuit is subjected to undesirable pulling forces strong enough to overcome the biasing forces of the actuator, the flat circuit can be withdrawn from the connector. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems.